Coupling for splicing cables



Aug. 15, 1944. R. s. WADE -r AL 2,356,014

COUPLING FOR SPLICING CABLES Filed Jan.,15, 1943 13 4 I9 19 L. l3

3 /6 ,5 6 /0 l' 4 7 1a 4 /0 C C I C Q I Raymund 5'. Wade INVENTOM.

and .HOh/flfd J Jone HT-ro RNEy.

Patented Aug. 15, 1944 COUPLING FOR SPLICING (mamas ItaymondStephenWade, Inglewood, and Howard Jarvis Jones, West Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 15, 1943, Serial No. 472,536

' 2 Claims. (01.287-76) This invention relates to :couplingsforsplicingcables and more particularly to. certain improve- .ments therein, andis. an improved .coupling for stated purpose. 1-

In practical applications ithas been found that inserting of a loose endof a cable, especially when the latter is composed .of many. separate,threads,

into a coupling with :a sleeve or .a plurality of sleeves therewithin isoften dilficult and obstructed when said sleeves are located beyondimmaining visible from outside when the coupling is engaged by acable-end being inserted thereinto.

Many accidents were caused by a blind contention that cable-ends areproperly inserted into a coupling. A common inspection hole in acoupling wall is often misleading due to a dark background formed by theopposite inner wall thereof whereby locating a cable-end is handicappedor delayed. Inspectors often may assume they saw the cable-end through acommon inspection hole while what they actually may have seen was merelya shadow of the cable-edge against a natural screen formed by theopposite solid inner wall.

Thus another object of this invention is to provide means to test degreeof cable insertion into a clamp independently from vision, said meanscomprising a through opening in the middle section of side walls of theclamp which opening is adapted to allow a wire rod, stick or like to beinserted therethough prior to inserting a cable end into the clamp, andthereafter tried to be pulled out when the cable end inserted into theclamp will come in pressing and frictional contact with prior insertion.A relative difiiculty in pulling the latter out from the through openingwould indicate the proper degree of cable en d insertion into the clamp.

In a coupling it is a common practice to pro- "vide a removable sleeveat each end thereof. In

they are regularly mounted in a coupling. Im-

'portance of such locking is fully emphasized by suchhigh authority asUnited States Army (Turn buckle assembly, U. S. Army Standards AN 130,AN-135, AN140,'AN150 as vfarback as 3-22-26 and 5-6-35); These wireswere already used in an effort to lock said removable sleeves after theyhave been screwed in in a regular manner over a coupling. I It has ,beenobserved that a main defect of heretofore known locking means for saidsleeves was inability to eliminate a certain margin cfplay either oneway or another which eventually provided an opportunity to develop aloosening of the grip against the cable-ends.

,The third object of this invention is to provide improved and originalmeans of locking the coupling sleeves in place, and more specifically, aplayless self-equalizing and self-locking lock comprising a plurality oflocks of relatively equal strength applied in relatively oppositedirections, for instance, awire held at series of relatively dependentpoints in an X-like relationship in such a manner (shown and describedbelow) that a tendency of either sleeve to loosen up either way willnaturally tighten the wire hold thereagainst and such Wire tighteningwill simultaneously tighten the opposite pull of the other wire sectionin the X-like relationship.

While present war efforts have convincingly demonstrated thatresponsibility of a coupling in industrial applications in manyinstances is very great a practical observation of heretofore usedcouplings reveals that some lack in simplicity of construction, or inefficiency of operation, or in durability, or are not quite economicalformanufacture, therefore the general' object of this invention is toincorporate the others in a structure that is simple, efficient, durableand susceptible of economical manufacture as illustrated in theaccompanying. drawing and following reigerences thereto. r Reference nowwill be had to the accompanying drawing in which- I Fig. l is a centralsection transversely asto what is shown in Fig. 2.

v ,Fig. 2 is a plan view of what is shown in-Fig. 1.

- ;Fig. 3 is a'section on line 3-.3 of Fig. 2.

- Fig. 4'is asection on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

i Fig. 5 isa section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

v Fig. 6 shows perspective views of the semi-circular tapered clampingwedges of the coupling.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the unitary central body of thecoupling. i I Fig. 8 indicates a modified form of an inspection aperturein the body piece of Fig. 7, wherein one aperture for-inspection is usedas compared with two apertures for inspection which are shown in'Figs. 1and 2. l 7

, i In the drawing 'our coupling is shown as being 3 on eaclrend ofwhich there are threaded nipple ends 4. 'Central tubular holes 5 extendthrough spection holes I.

ends of the said sleeves.

is provided with inspection holes I extending en-i tirely through thatportion of the block 2. These holes 1 are located to pass through theholes 5 at or near the ends 6 of the holes 5. These inspection holes Ipermit an inspector to observe that the ends I4 of the cables which arebeing A spliced are extended into full depth'in theholes" 5 of thenipples 4. 7 In the block 2, at the hexagonical portion 3,

there are provided holes orapertures whichextend through the corners 9and these are-located on opposite sides of each other and at ninetydegrees, or other desirable angle, from the in- The holes 8 are apartfof a locking means to prevent the parts of the coupling becomingloose in service.

On the ends of the threaded nipples 4 there are internally threadedsleeves I0 screwed thereon. In the outer ends of the sleeves I0 beyondthe internal threads of the sleeves and the ends of the nipples 4, thereare tapered interior chambers I I, the small ends of which are at theirouter ends. Y

Located in these chambers II in the said sleeves I 0 there aresemi-circular tapered wedges I2 having their small ends I3 located atthe outer Their wedges I2 are curved on their inside to fit the contourof the cable C which is being spliced.

In making a splice with our coupling the ends of the cable are shovedinto the ends of the coupling when the sleeves II] and wedges I2 aresufficiently released to permit easy entrance of the cable ends. Theends are shoved clear into the coupling and through the holes 5 in thethreaded nipples 4 to abut against the ends of the holes 5 as is shownat 6 in Fig. 1.

As shown in Figure l, the distance between inner ends of wedges I2, andthe edge of nipple end 4 is relatively small (in this instance,-andtaking in consideration the relatively diagonal slices, the total movingmargin within the clamp is approximately thus, when cable end is beinginserted into the coupling, wedges I2 may move but relatively very smalldistance; asillustrated, to allow outer edges I3 thereof to remainvsible from outside while-the coupling-is being engaged. I r

The cable ends then are by any suitable'means heldclosely in thosepositions while-the sleeves III are screwed on the nipples 4 toward thecenter of the coupling, which results in causingthe taperedsemi-circular wedges I2 to clamp tightly on the cable body attheinterior of .thertapered chambers II in the sleeves). The wedges l2then clamp the cable endstight- 1y substantially to thelimit of thestrength of the cable itself by frictional resistance under th pressureofrthe wedges I 2. J It. will be noticed that the ends of the cableextend into the holes 5 of thenipples 4:-a distance beyond the wedgesI2;approximating the length of the wedges I 2. Thus these portions I4 ofthe cable ends are not compressed in diameter by the wedges I2 and onthat accountjhey have a holding resista ce a a n t withd awa r thecoupling. p o imatin tea m c ste n a? i h t n ed e i u se man.-

.ends of the sleeves I0.

longitudinal opening.

nor to prevent withdrawal of the cable inside of the portion beyond thewedges I2.

The sleeves I0 at their inner ends are provided with hexagonicalportions I 5 closely approximating the size and shape of the hexagonicalportions 3 of the block 2. Through the corners of the hexagonicalportions I5 of sleeves I0 there are '7 holes I6.

On the final adjustment of the application of the coupling in making asplice, the hexagonical surfaces of the block 2 and the sleeves II) arebrought in parallel relations as much as may be 5 necessary for'properadjustments for the clampingof the sleeves to the cable C. Thisparallelism is desirable for convenience in looking the parts togetherto prevent them from coming loose in service,as there is provided a wiremeans I9 which is'trained through the holes 8 in the block 2 and theholes I6 in the corners I5 of the sleeves III. This wire is threadedthrough those holes back and forth on each side of the coupling, as isbest observed in Fig. 2. This wire terminates in a twisted connectionindicated by I8 in Fig. 2.

This wire is criss crossed on itself as is indicated by Fig. 2 wherebythere is prevented any twisting or. rotary movement of the sleeves IIIwith the block 2.

We prefer to provide the two inspection holes I by means of which toobserve that the cable ends are inserted to the full depths desired intothe coupling. However, one larger hole, indicated by I7 in Fig. 8, mayin some instances be used.

We have shown and described hexagonical shapes 3 for the central body 2and the inner However, any suitable shapes may be used for these partswhich are adaptable for the service. In cases where circular shapes areused in place of the hexagonical shapes, or other shapes having corners,then there will be provided in the sides of such circular shapes, theholes 8 for the locking wires I9 in substantially the same manner asherein described.

What we claim is:

1,. A coupling'for wires, rods or the like comprising a body blockhaving a nipple at its end, said nipple having a tubular andlongitudinal opening therewithin adapted toreceive a wire, rod or thelike, a tubular sleeve longitudinally and movably mounted over ,thenipple, clamping means within said sleeve, a plurality of through andrelatively-opposite openings in relatively opposite side walls of thecoupling relatively far from its outer end and communicating with said2.'A coupling for wires, rods or the like comprisin a body block havinga nipple at its end, saidnipple having-a tubular and longitudinalopening therewithin adapted to. receive a wire, rod or the like, atubular sleeve longitudinally and movably mounted over the nipple, saidblock and sleeve having. transverse openings 'therethrough clampswithinsaidlsleeve, locking means adapted tohcld-th sleeve. in clampingposition when. a wire, rod or the like is engagedin said coupling, saidmeans comprising an" elongated member e te d ng" sequen ia l ro h t e. ter openings; of said block andsaid sleeve, portions of said memberengaging one another in crossing relationship and the; end portions ofsaid memberbeing interlockedto lock and hold the sleeve in stati'onaryposition relative to. the block.

- 5 @A M N $T HE WADE.

,JA Y I NE

